Valve stem



July 6, 1948. c. H. KEARNY VALVE STEM Filed Ma'rch 2'7, 194s Cresscjn H. h 4%;

Patented July 6, 1948 VALVE STEM Gresson H. Kearny, United States Army,

Fort Clayton, Cl Z.

Application March 27, 1943, Serial No.480,881'

3 Claims. (01. 251-) (Granted under the act of March .3, 1883, as

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in valve constructions, and more particularly to those of the type used in connection with breath inflatable containers, such as bladders of rubber or the like material, life preservers, air cushions and similar articles having a stem adapted to be folded on itself to prevent escape of air from the container.

It is an object of this invention toprovide a valve which is simple and positive in its action and which will be automatically closed after inflation of the container.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a valve of the type described which will present a, wide, unobstructed passage and, accordingly, afford minimum resistance to the flow of air, when the valve is in its open position.

The valves in present day use with breathinflated containers, such as those of the type shown in my pending application Serial No. 416,329, filed October 24, 1941, which has matured into Patent 2,391,906, January 1, 1946, are open to the disadvantage that the inflowing air is forced to act against obstructions such as springs or other devices for closing the valve against a valve seat. When such containers must be inflated by an individual, this disadvantage becomes noticeable and results in the rapid tiring of the person using it. In. order to overcome this defect and to produce a valve having certain other advantages, I have designed the following apparatus, the operation of which will be clear from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, partially broken away to illustrate the construction and arrangement of the individual parts of the valve;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the valve in its closed position. i

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral l0 represents an inflatable container of rubber or other flexible material which, in turn, is provided with a throat [2. For the valve stem there is provided a neck 14 consisting of a section of soft rubber tube or other similar substance, the walls of which are thickened to cause the stem to acquire an erect position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, with an unobstructed amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) the mouthpiece and at the point of atta chment'to the throat l2. The reinforcing sections" l6 and 29 are placed in the ends of the neck l4 and then the assembly is placed inside of the throat I2 of the device to be inflated. The assembly is secured by any suitable means such as the bindings l8 and 22, respectively. i i

Near the upper and lower ends of the neck 14 there is attached an elastic member 26. On the other side of the neck l4 a corresponding elastic member 24 is secured at points diametrically opposite the points of securing the member 26. The elastic members 24 and 26 may be secured in any suitable fashion such as by the u'pperand lower bands 28 and 30. The elastic members 24 and 26 are brought together in the front of the valve and are maintained in that position 'by keeper 32 through which the elastic members are" free to move.

When the valve stem is in the erect position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the thickness of the wall of the valve stem is suflicient to maintain the valve stem in an erect position against the action of the elastic members 24 and 26. Upon moving the upper end of the valve stem slightly toward the front where the keeper 32 maintains the elastic members together, the pull of the elastic memhers is suflicient to overcome the resiliencyof the thickened wall of the neck, whereby theupper end of the neck is automatically actuated into a foldedposition by the elastic members. i 1

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seenthat, in their closed position, the elastic members 24 and 26 have caused the neck I4 to fold over against itself bringing the ends into juxtaposition. This folding overhproduces a kinking action at the center of the neck [4 resulting in a complete closureof the valve as shown at 34; i A

When it is desired to use the valve when i its .folded condition it is merely necessaryktograsp the upper end of the valve and raise it against the action of theelastic members 24 and 

